The Broadway Musical Blog – Musical theater news and gossip from the Great White Way
Dishing out daily (or almost daily) Broadway musical news and gossip. The companion site to The Broadway Musical Home (broadwaymusicalhome.com), a directory of Broadway musicals with the story, songs, merchandise, video clips, lyrics, tickets, rights & awards for almost 200 shows.Archive for What do you think?
Check out the new Broadway Musical Home!
I’ve been extremely busy updating the look and content of The Broadway Musical Home so get over there and check it out now!
Featuring fun new artwork commissioned especially for the site (can you name all the characters/shows pictured in the banner?) plus information about every Broadway mounting of each show (not just the premiere), video and music clips, info about the Broadway theaters themselves, interactive features (like a star rating system, discussion space and social media connections) as well as oodles of other good stuff … our sister site has transformed into something truly wonderful.
Check it out! Bookmark it! Tell your friends!
A Big Broadway News Roundup
Next to Normal Looking to Launch a National Tour
Brian Yorkey, the book writer and lyricist for Broadway’s Next to Normal, told Playbill.com, “A tour is in the works. David Stone’s at work putting it together. I think it will launch later this year, in the fall or winter.” In addition to a national tour here in the US, there is also apparently a group working on translating the show for a Scandinavian production.
Chicago Now Broadway’s 6th Longest Running Show
On Jan. 12, the Tony Award-winning revival of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s Chicago played its 5,462nd performance and became the sixth longest-running production in Broadway history, surpassing Beauty and the Beast, which previously held that position.
Finian’s Rainbow Cast Album Available Feb 2
The critically acclaimed revival of Finian’s Rainbow that just closed its doors on Broadway did have the chance to visit a recording studio before the death knells rang – capturing the beautiful voices of Kate Baldwin and Cheyenne Jackson singing some of the best songs in the Broadway musical cannon. Listen to a sample. The album is available for pre-order now.
Hair holding open casting
With nearly all of the original Broadway cast of Hair off to perform in the west-end transfer, producers are looking to cast a new group of Broadway hopefuls. Open auditions will take place from 10 AM-6 PM at the Public Theater on January 21. Actors are asked to prepare 16 bars of an up-tempo pop or rock song (with sheet music), and to bring a headshot and a resume.
Billy Elliot has Recouped its Investment
Producers of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Billy Elliot have announced that it has recouped its $18 million investment. The national tour of the show is set to launch in Chicago on March 18.
La Cage Aux Folles Artwork Revealed
Our Twitter and Facebook followers have had mixed opinions about it. What do you think?
An Obama Musical?
Yes. A company in Germany has created a show based on Obama’s rise to the Presidency. The title: HOPE. The video speaks for itself:
Casting changes
In the Heights
Janet Dacal (who originated Carla) and newcomer David Del Rio will be replacing Mandy Gonzalez (the current Nina) and Robin De Jesus (the current Sonny) when they leave Broadway’s In The Heights next month.
Wicked
Andy Karl (9 to 5, Legally Blonde) will join the Broadway cast of Wicked beginning Feb. 2, succeeding Kevin Kern in the role of Fiyero. Katie Rose Clarke and Jenny Fellner stepped into the roles of Glinda and Nessarose, respectively, on Jan. 14.
Chicago
Former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams (Aida) will replace Ashlee Simpson as Roxie Hart in Broadway’s Chicago beginning February 8.
South Pacific
On January 5, Laura Osnes (Grease, Bonnie & Clyde) returned to Broadway’s South Pacific taking over the role of Nellie Forbush from Kelli O’Hara.
Coming soon…
Zorba
The New York Post is reporting that Antonio Banderas (Nine) will be playing the title role in a Broadway production of the John Kander & Fred Ebb musical Zorba, to be directed by Gary Griffin (The Color Purple) and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys).
Monsoon Wedding
Mira Nair is working on a stage version of her film Monsoon Wedding hoping to make its Broadway debut a year from now. The show, co-written by Mira Nair and Sabrina Dhawan with music by Vishal Bharadwaj and choreography by Bill T. Jones, will combine circus acrobatics, aerial acting, theatre, music and dance.
Glee – Golden Globe, 2nd Season, Open Casting
The TV show Glee , which has featured show tunes and many Broadway actors, including Matthew Morrison (Hairspray, Light in the Piazza) and Lea Michele (Spring Awakening), took home the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series (Comedy or Musical) and was picked up for a second season on Fox. Fans will be excited to hear that producers have announced casting for both professionals and amateurs ranging from ages 16-26. Are you enough of a gleek to make the show?
Delays…
All About Me
Previews for All About Me, the Michael Feinstein and Dame Edna show, will begin Feb. 22, three days later than originally announced.
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Also delayed, not so surprisingly, was Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. The show, which producers had vehemently assured patrons would begin previews on Feb 25, will now be open sometime in 2010 – no specific dates have yet been announced.
Broadway on TV!
John Tartaglia (Shrek, Avenue Q) will appear on the February 3rd episode of Ugly Betty.
Catherine Zeta-Jones (A Little Night Music) will guest on “The Late Show with David Letterman” on Jan. 22.
Broadway Impact for Marriage Equality
Gavin Creel and his organization, Broadway Impact, brought together a large group of Broadway actors, directors, stage managers, fans, and producers to march on Washington for gay equality this past Sunday.
It was amazing event marked by performances/speeches by the cast of Broadway’s Hair, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, David Hyde Pierce, Douglas Carter Beane, Cheyenne Jackson, Speaker Christine Quinn and Governor Paterson – whose proposed bill to grant same-sex couples the equal right to marry in New York prompted Creel to organize.
Here’s the Hair tribe performing at the event:
Did anyone who follows the blog make it to Washington?
In honor of #theatrethursday, your list of the top 50 Broadway musicals of all time
We asked and you responded. Here’s a list of your all time favorite Broadway musicals, in no particular order:
- Les Miserables
- Rent
- The King and I
- Sunday in the Park with George
- Wicked
- Guys and Dolls
- Sweeney Todd
- Ragtime
- West Side Story
- In the Heights
- Phantom of the Opera
- Into the Woods
- Next to Normal
- Cats
- Parade
- Company
- Chess
- A Chorus Line
- Man of La Mancha
- Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
- Rocky Horror Show
- The Music Man
- My Fair Lady
- Mame
- Jersey Boys
- The Last Five Years (technically off-Broadway, but enough of you voted for it that I had to include it)
- Candide
- The Drowsy Chaperone
- The Sound of Music
- Spring Awakening
- Little Shop of Horrors
- The Wiz
- Miss Saigon
- Hair
- Billy Elliot
- Gypsy
- Assassins
- Rock of Ages
- Hello Dolly!
- Cabaret
- The Lion King
- Hairspray
- Grease
- Avenue Q
- South Pacific
- Evita
- The Producers
- Pippin
- Chicago
- Dreamgirls
Is your favorite not on the list? Add it in the comments below!
Do you follow us? Are you a fan?
Not everything makes it onto the blog. For a number of smaller bits of gossip and news, 140 characters seems like more than enough … plus sometimes it’s just more fun to gossip in real time.
To ensure you’re getting all the juicy tidbits, be sure to follow us on Twitter (@broadwaymusical) or Facebook (facebook.com/broadwaymusical).
Some recent pieces of news that have only been tweeted/posted:
GOSSIP: Cheech and Chong are seriously “discussing a Broadway musical.” What do you think they should name the show?
Artem Chigvintsev, a first season finalist on “So You Think You Can Dance,” joins the Broadway cast of Burn the Floor tonight!
If you’re a Broadway/Musical fan, check out this station! http://is.gd/2AjLB
Wow. If you’re ever stuck trying to figure out what show a song is from, go to midomi.com and sing it. They’ve got most Bway songs on there!
Plus, you can join in the conversation, answering questions like:
If you could meet any Broadway star, past or present, living or dead, who would it be? What would you do or say?
Alright, spill … what’s the worst musical you’ve ever seen?
What’s your absolute favorite cast album?
If you were given an unlimited budget and total freedom – what Broadway musical would you do and who would you cast?
Norbert Leo Butz’ Sister Murdered in Possible Hate Crime
Norbert Leo Butz’ sister, Teresa Butz, was killed and her partner severely wounded early Sunday by a man who attacked them as they slept in their home. A detective has confirmed that Teresa sacrificed herself to save her fiancée’s life during the attack. The murder is being investigated as a possible hate crime and the murderer is still at large, though police remain confident of apprehending her killer.
Norbert Leo Butz has been out of town working on the Broadway-bound Catch Me If You Can at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. The production cancelled its preview performances in deference to his family emergency.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Butz family and to Miss Butz’ fiancée.
Psst…Video previews of Catch Me if You Can, the musical
Found some footage of the new Catch Me if You Can musical on youtube and just had to share!
Aaron Tveit as Frank Abagnale, Jr
Norbert Leo Butz as Carl Hanrady
What do you think?
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